Clarinet key



June 25, 1940. OBRIEN 2,205,695

CLARINET KEY Filed May 22, 1939 J7 TOP/V6171? Patented June 25, 1940UNITED STATES CLARINET KEY Harry E. OBrien, Washington Township, MarionCounty, near Indianapolis, Ind.

Application May 22, 1939, Serial No. 274,947

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a key for wind instruments, and particularlyfor clarinets constructed with keys in the Boehm system.

It is a primary object of my invention to provide a key of extremelysimple construction which can be made in one piece as a stamping or acasting, in such form that it will close a tone hole when manipulatedwith the proper fingers to produce the desired tones on the clarinet inthe Boehm system. It is a further important object of the invention toprovide extremely simple means for mounting the key on the clarinetwithout use of posts as have heretofore customarily been employed, andalso to provide simple means for mounting a spring to hold the keynormally off of the tone hole. A still further important object of theinvention is to provide means for adjusting the key for the properdegree of opening of the key in relation to the hole to be closed.

My invention primarily consists of a one piece key having essentiallythree open rings joined one to the other integrally, each ringsurrounding a respective tone hole, and having a part of the keyextending from the last key over a tone hole above the three tone holeswhich are surrounded by the rings. Furthermore the invention consists ofhinging this key directly to the tube of the instrument in such mannerthat the key will travel not transversely across the tube butlongitudinally in line therewith from one end which is hinged to thetube. In the practice heretofore followed, it has been the usualprocedure to mount separate rings upon a rod which is rockably carriedby posts projecting from the instrument tube so that these rings mayrock in paths transversely positioned in relation to the tube. It is anexceedingly difficult job to align these rings upon the rod and thensecure them for the required degree of travel. The same rod normallycarries a member having a pad to close off one tone hole and, of course,this pad must be maintained in adjustment in relation to the travel ofthe rings. This structure as heretofore employed requires a considerabledegree of accuracy and, therefore, much time and expense to complete itsassembly. By my simple form of invention, all of this individualadjusting of rings upon a cam rod and the mounting of posts to securethe desired alignment are eliminated.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to thoseversed in the art in the following description of one particular form asillustrated in the accompanying drawing/in which Fig. l is a top view inperspective of a section of a clarinet tube to which my invention isapplied;

Fig. 2, a central longitudinal section on a slightly enlarged scale on.the line 2-2 in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3, a view in top perspective of the key alone.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews in the drawing.

I form a metal key of the general configuration as illustrated in Fig.3. This key is made to have the three rings IE), I l and I2 joinedtogether by the interconnecting necks l3 and 14. From the ring. l2extends a shank l5 for a distance therefrom. A pair of arms l6 and I!extend laterally from the shank l5, one from each side thereof, andthese arms are curved around downwardly therefrom to be substantiallyconcentric with the curvature of the clarinet tube l8 but having alarger radius of curvature. From the upper key ring ill continues atongue l9 and on the under side of the tongue I!) at its upper end iscarried a suitable pad 20. The shank [5 extends beyond the arms I6 andI! to provide a stop member limiting the travel of the key when it isassembled on the tube l8.

As indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the key is mounted on the tube It bypositioning the rings H], II and I2 to be concentric with the tone holes2|, 22 and 23 in the tube l8. When the key is in this position, the armsI6 and I! are pivotally attached to the tube l8 by any suitable meanssuch as by the screws 24 and 25. The screws 24 and 25 are droppeddownwardly along the sides of the tube I8 a suii'icient distance as willpermit the rings Ill, H and H. to be lowered sufficiently to permit theholes 2|, Z2 and 23 to be covered selectively by the players fingers'when the key is pushed toward the tube. The pad 20 is also positionedso that it will cover the upper tone hole 26 when the key is depressed.

Normally the key is held in a raised position, as indicated in Fig. 2,by a suitable spring 21, herein shown as a leaf spring, one end of whichrides on the surface of the tube i8 and the other or lower end is fixedto the key itself by any suitable means such as by soldering, welding,or by a rivet 28. In order to limit the upward swing of the key throughthe action spring 21, the lower end of the shank [5 below the arms Itand H is provided with a suitable stop to come into abutment with thetube It. In the form herein shown, a screw 29 is employed which may beadjusted as to its length extending under the shank E5 to abut the tubeHi.

The operation of the key is had by the usual fingering for the systemindicated. For example, when the tone hole 22 is closed by the middlefinger of the right hand, the key is depressed to close the pad 20against the tone hole 25, this action in the Boehm fingering producingthe tone of F sharp, top line of the staff, and also the twelfth tonebelow which is B natural. When tone hole B is covered, the tone hole 26is also covered and in this position of the key, F natural is produced,top line of the staff, also producing the twelfth tone below which is Bfiat.

When all tone holes (not shown) above those indicated in Figs. 1 and 2,are covered down to but not including the tone holes associated with thekey of the present invention, the tone of G above the staiT-and thetwelfth below, C natural, may be produced. This tone is produced in itsproper pitch through the tone hole 2% then open.

1e principal use of the key of this invention is to close tone hole 26in order to produce the tones Bb, A and G below the staff, and F sharp,F natural, E and D in the staff, also all tones below the above tones inthe Boehm system clarinet.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the oneparticular form, it is ob vious that structural changes may be employed,such, for example, as bending down the lower free end of the shank iiito form a stop in the absence of the set screw 29, the particular typeand mounting of the leaf spring, etc., and I, therefore, do not desireto be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations as may beimposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. For a Boehm system clarinet, a key extendin:; longitudinally of theclarinet tube and hinged by one end to swing longitudinally thereof, and

Y carrying integrally plurality of spaced apart tone hole rings and anend tone hole cover, said key having a pair of integral arms, oneextending laterally from each side of the key, both of said arms curvingaround from the key substantially concentrically of said tube, and meanspivoting the arms to the sides of said tube, a spring between said tubeand said key normally holding the key in open tone hole position, and astop extending from the key to abut said tube to limit the travel of thekey under the influence of said spring.

2. For a Boehm system clarinet, a key extending longitudinally of theclarinet tube and hinged by one end to swing longitudinally thereof, andcarrying integrally a plurality of spaced apart tone hole rings and anend tone hole cover, said key having a pair of integral arms, oneextending laterally from each side of the key, both of said arms curvingaround from the key substantially concentrically of said tube, and meanspivoting the arms to the sides of said tube, a spring between said tubeand said key normally holding the key in open tone hole position, and astop extending from the key to abut said tube to limit the travel of thekey under the influence of said spring, said stop consisting of a screwadjustably extending through the key below its junction with said arms.

3. For a Boehm system clarinet, a key consisting of a plurality of ringsintegrally joined one to another in line by intervening necks, a tongueextending beyond the last of said rings, a tone hole cover pad carriedon the under side of said tongue, a shank extending from the oppositeend ring, an arm extending laterally from each side of the tongue andeach extending outwardly and downwardly to form key supporting members,and a stop member turned downwardly back of substantially the centerline through said arms.

a. For a Boehm system clarinet, a key consisting of a plurality of ringsintegrally joined one to another in line by intervening necks, a tongueextending beyond the last of said rings, a tone hole cover pad carriedon the under side of said tongue, a shank extending from the oppositeend ring, an arm extending laterally from each side of the tongue andeach curved outwardly and downwardly to form key supporting members, anda stop member turned downwardly back of substantially the center linethrough said arms, and a spring carried on the under side of the keyhaving an end spaced below the key forwardly of said arms.

HARRY E. OBRIEN.

